Google: Successful sites meet user needs

18/07/2008

Businesses hoping to come up with the next big breakthrough idea for an online concept have been advised to ensure their website meets users' needs first.

Speaking to PC Pro magazine, a spokesperson for Google said that the search engine started out with no business plan apart from an aim to increase search result relevancy for web users.

The spokesperson then noted that Google only looked at monetisation through advertising after they had proved to be successful for this initial objective, stating: "If you focus on the user, everything else will follow ... thinking of ways to make money is secondary to us.

"By focusing on needs rather than the bottom line, we encourage our engineers and product managers to innovate at a rapid pace."

According to Shailesh Manga of Optimal Usability, a web design project that meets the basic usability requirements for internet users should have a well-designed navigation structure and present the most important information in key areas, the New Zealand Herald reports.